In many processing plants, manufacturing plants and the like, there is a need to provide readily accessible fire fighting equipment that can be brought into operation on extremely short notice. For example, in refineries for petroleum products, there is typically found a maze of pipework creating a flow system that enables the handling of products being refined during the various phases of the refining process. This maze of pipework typically defines quite congested areas within which operating personnel work. In the event a fire should develop in a congested area of this nature, it is unlikely that conventional fire fighting equipment will be capable of quickly reaching the fire because large fire trucks are incapable of being positioned in close proximity to the fire. It is typically necessary, therefore, to extend fire hose a considerable distance from fire truckes to the congested area where the fire may be located and in doing so, precious fire fighting time is lost. Moreover, the pressure loss that occurs through long extensions of fire hose can cause diminished delivery of fire fighting fluid such as water or foam at the site of the fire. It is desirable, therefore, to provide means for achieving rapid deployment of fire hose even in congested areas and it is also desirable to provide a fire hose deployment system that may be handled manually as well as by means of power energized equipment. It is further desirable to provide a hose deployment system having the capability of passing through rather congested areas while at the same time rapidly deploying hose in such manner that the hose can be readily connected to water or foam supply systems, thus enabling the fire to be attended as soon as possible. This enables the fire to be contained and keeps it from spreading to other processing equipment where the fire may take on a more major character.
In the past, fire hose deployment systems have been developed wherein the fire hose is wound about a reel. The reel is either mobile by means of wheels or is fixed. The fire hose is deployed simply by pulling on the free end, thus causing the reel to rotate. To reach the fire, it is necessary that the hose that is unreeled be dragged along the ground, thus possibly damaging the hose or causing it to become kinked. Moreover, personnel are typically required to pull the hose to the full extent of its length requiring considerable physical exertion. Where the hose is mounted on mobile hose reels, it must always be unwound beginning with a particular end, i. e. the nozzle end or connection end. It may be necessary, therefore, to begin laying the hose at the fire or away from the fire, depending on the manner by which the hose is wound. Hose deployment is not capable of being accomplished selectively depending upon the location of the reeled hose, the fire or the fluid supply. It is desirable therefore to provide a system for fire hose deployment which provides a wide range of selectivity or flexibility to better accommodate the various fire fighting situations that may occur.
In congested product processing areas, such as in refineries for petroleum products where extremely flammable products are handled, it is obvious that a fire can be ignited at any one of a number of locations. By providing a fire hose deployment system whereby hose can be paid out from the fire to a fluid supply or from a fluid supply to the fire, the fire hose can be handled in the most practical manner to achieve rapid deployment thereof and thus rapid application of controlling fluid to the fire. Further, it is desirable to provide a fire hose deployment system wherein fire hose may be deployed in both directions from a storage facility toward the fire and toward a fluid supply connector, thus minimizing the time necessary to bridge the distance between the fluid supply connector and the fire. Of course, it is necessary to dispense the fire hose in a kink free condition, thereby preventing kinks from interfering with fluid flow when the fire hose has been placed in service.